Day 15 ~December fifteenth~ what others see..

From the outside looking in...

through the wreath on my door...

the other side of the house....

We don't have any lights on the outside of our house this year. In fact we don't have any outdoor decorations except what is hanging on my door.

We never decorated outside in Florida so we don't even have outdoor lights.

Carter asked me why we were so boring on the outside of our house.

So I told him next year we will do the outside thing.

That means I will have to do some after Christmas sale shopping for lights!

Day 14 ~December forteenth~ Can you see it?

Look Close

Day 13~ December thirteenth~ Let it SNOW!!

WE walked into the church at 8:30 a.m. for Breakfast with Santa.

WE walked out at 9:55 a.m. to a large amount of snow and a mini blizzard!

What happened while we were in the warm cozy church eating pancakes and hash browns?

The kids didn't actually get to see Santa since we had to leave early in order to get to the Dugway chapel for choir practice.

I continually apologized to Carter for missing Santa since he was the one who cared the most...believe it or not! He was the tired 11 almost 12 year old that said he didn't want to go to Breakfast with Santa the night before.

So after a lengthy practice, for the performance that is tomorrow night, we had lunch at subway and then witnessed Jarom biffing it in the snow! My three youngest are new to the whole snow thing so biffing it in the snow is probably the beginning of many falls until he realizes that he can't run on ice and slippery snow!

When we returned to our warm snow covered home, Carter and Jarom and their Dad decided to build a snowman! After watching out the window and taking in Jarom who was screaming from frozen-ness, I asked Russ when it stopped being fun....he said "about a half hour ago!"

Day 12 ~December twelfth~ On the Twelfth day of Christmas....

12 Broken Crayons (jarom)
11 Screams of terror (allie~she has the loudest pitched voice)
10 minutes of peace (that's as long as they will sit and watch a show...and that's good!)
9 pairs of shoes (jarom loves to walk around in everyone else's shoes but his)
8 crackers crumbled (jarom and allie)
7 "MOMs" mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom,mom! (allie)
6 "I wuv you's" (jarom)
5 minutes it takes to put on a pair of shoes because they wont hold still!!!
4 poopy bums (they are pooping machines)
3 broken ornaments (jarom..he loves to hear them bounce twice before they shatter on my floor)
2 munchkins that I love
and
A Binky in the mouth at all times!!!!


The twelve days of Christmas is just all in a days work with these two glorious jewels of mine!
I love them to bits!

Day 11 ~December eleventh~ I'm sharing

I thought I would let you in on the best recipe for CheeseBall you have ever tasted.
There are a lot of holiday parties going on these days and if you are stumped on what to bring...I have the perfect solution.

CheesEbaLL:
(2) 8 oz. cream cheese softened
4 chopped green onions
1 TBS Bon Appetite ~ a must. I know you can find it at Smiths...It is my favorite spice.
2 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp mustard.

I put all of the ingredients in a wide bowl and mash together with a fork.

Then I plop it down on some saran wrap and divide it into 2.

Then I wrap the saran wrap around it and form it into a ball.

Then, I put it in the fridge to chill for a while but you don't have to before rolling it in chopped nuts.

Pecans are good, but I have used Almonds and Walnuts and they are yummy!!

I usually like to eat the cheeseball with those Keebler butter crackers, but really any kind goes well with it.

So Super Yummy!!

We made this every year growing up.

I don't know why I don't make it year round because I love it.

Happy CheeseBalling at your Christmas parties!

Day 10 ~December tenth~ Friend and Trees

Janette.

Janette My FRIEND.

Janette oh Janette....who fills my creation room with fragrance. Oh Janette.

How I will miss my Friend Janette.

Tis the season to be fragrant and lovely.

This is my Janette.

Farty!!

There is no comparison. Oh Janette. The Queen of Fragrance.

She can clear a room!

Oh Good Times! We laugh until we toot!

She and I decorated my house today. We had such a great time!

I actually feel like it is Christmas now with my house all looking nice! And thanks to Janette it all got finished and with some fun!!

We are going to finish our night with a movie that we went to see together in the theatres.

"The Holiday"

And we will eat munchies and laugh and chat. For tomorrow my dear Janette leaves me for a time. :(

Thanks for all the great fun Janette.

It was rejuvenating!

Nobody is better to fold laundry with or clean your bathrooms or change poopy bums with than Janette.

Love ya like a Sister!

Until next time.....

Day 9 ~December ninth~ my project

I am so sorry about how these pictures are on here sideways. They are not sideways in my album. So I don't know why they are posting like that.

Anyway, here is the mini album that I made for Janette.

I was so fun to make. I haven't done one like this before.

Here are just a few pages of the album.

This is the back.

I found this really cool bracelet at a yard sale about 2 years ago, but it itched my wrist so bad because of the chain on it so I took the elastic out of it and it stretched out and it became a big long necklace. So I used it for an accent to hang the album on a peg.

I am going to try to fix these pics tomorrow because it is really annoying!
By the way, she loved the album and I love having her here. I gave her a hair cut, we had our favorite lunch.....egg salad sandwich with avocado. We put the Christmas lights on my tree and just hung out and had a great time catching up. And a bunch more stuff in between!

More to do tomorrow. We are going to put up all the Christmas decorations!

Day 8 ~December eighth~ I am a freak and I know it!

This is my craft room, also called, the office, scrapbook room, sewing room, or the creation room!

Okay, So I am the biggest re-arranger in the history of re-arrangers! Since moving in 3 months ago...(wow! it has gone by fast) I have re-arranged every room in my house at least once. If not 5 times!

I am going to blame it on the fact that when you move in and put stuff places... you don't know if it is the best place to have it permanently right?

So that is my excuse for now. However, I tend to do this on a regular basis. I can't stand not cleaning behind things and if I am going to pull it out to vacuum I might as well move it....so I think anyway! My husband and kids have gotten used to me doing this. But when people come to my house and see that the furniture is in a different place than it was 2 days ago they think I am nuts! My visiting teacher gets a new place to sit every time she comes over. She hasn't said anything yet but she just looks at me like I am crazy!

These photos are out of order. I goofed!

While moving stuff around, I just piled my desk high with junk. The floor looked pretty scary too.

But, I love that feeling at the end of re-arranging and cleaning when you look at it and think.....I can't believe I got all that done! It is gratifying even if no one cares but me!!

Day 7 ~December seventh~ the Sabbath

We joined a choir here on base. I think it is the Methodist church. Anyway, we had to travel to
Tooele to sing in a performance tonight. They were supposed to have child care but at the last minute before we got ready to leave they called me and said that I would have to find someone to watch the twins and Emma. Well, that didn't happen so I ended up sitting in the congregation and watching the kids while everyone else sang! Let me tell you what a treat that was!
I was so frustrated by the time it was over. Those two.....they just do not hold still and on the second to last song, Jarom made a huge noise by throwing 4 stacked bibles on the floor! I was so embarrassed and all the little old ladies kept saying, "Do you want a coloring book and crayons for them?" I was like, ya I thought of that but they wont hold still long enough to color!! So after we went through all the smarties and cookies and got bored with throwing bibles on the floor, I had to take them out and miss the end of the performance! I showed up all dressed nice with my hair done and stuff and by the end I looked like I had been in a tornado. I had cookie smeared on my skirt and I sat on a baby wipe so my bum was all wet. My hair had been pulled and tangled and I had been punched in the face. Can I just tell you that one child is SO much easier than two. I love 'em but MAN.....they are a handful! And people were wondering why I wouldn't just leave them with an 11 year old boy that they didn't even know! There would be nothing left of that boy by the time the performance was over. They are peacefully sleeping at this minute and the silence is golden. They were super fussy today. I don't know what the deal was.
Anyway, tomorrow is a new day right?

Speaking of tomorrow, I have to get all my chores done because I have an awesome visitor coming on Tuesday morning. I can't wait! I am so excited. It is my friend Janette from Florida! I miss her so much, She is going to help me decorate my house. I told her on the phone that I am not in the mood to decorate because she always helps me every year and she wasn't here so she called me the next day and said, " Don't decorate until I get there, I am coming on Tuesday!" I let out a scream I was so excited!! I can't wait to show you what I made for her birthday, but I have to wait until she sees it first!

Goodnight! Have a great tomorrow!!

Day 6 ~December 6th~ Temple Square

A great night out with the family!!

We went to Temple Square.

I don't think I have been there in about 15 years.

It was so beautiful.

Except I remember there being more lights when I was a kid.

This is the back of the manger scene on the water. All of those black shadows you see there in the background are people. It was crowded. So instead of standing in the crowd to take a picture, I got a picture of the back. Still just as beautiful!

I loved all of the orange lights.

And, I loved this picture of President Monson.

Brrr, was it freezing last night! whew! Brrr nuggets!!

Carter and I killing time waiting for someone.

Me and my little Allie.

And you saw the great one of Jarom and I.

Day 5 ~ December fifth~ WOW!!

almost didn't make it getting this post on. It is 11:59

Can you guess where we went tonight as a family? I will show you tomorrow.

Love this pic of me and jarom.

Goodnight!!

Day 4~December fourth~ Emma's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Lovely Emma!

She turned Six on November 26th.

I didn't get a chance to post on that day.

I know this picture of her is in the side bar but I love it because this picture screams EMMA!!

She is such a poser. She loves to be in front of the camera.

She also loves to sing, and whistle! She is mighty good at that whistling for a six year old too!Emma is always concerned with other people's feelings and is the first to realize when someone is sad or doesn't feel well. She is always willing to give hugs and kisses and has the brightest face every morning. She walks in my room and cheerfully says..."Good Morning Mom!"

I don't know what I would do without my darling Ems.

She is so sweet and I love her so very much!!

She is a very BIG part of our family and I am so happy to have her in it! She is my little companion. She is always asking me to teach her something. Whether it be cooking, or reading, or playing a game! She is so fun and inquisitive.

We had a birthday party for her with her new friends. It was fun. I love this picture of her opening a present that we got for her. She thought it was an ipod. Ha! I don't even have an ipod....It's just an f.m. radio that came with one of her shirts that I bought for her. She liked it nonetheless. :)
Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Day 3 ~December third~ Our time with Family

We loved being in St. George again.
I hadn't been there in 3 years and Russ hadn't been there in 5 years.
It was so good to have my Mom's home cooking for Thanksgiving!
It rained for 2 days and then we finally got to see a little sunshine before we left.

Here are my little turkeys playing out in the front yard. The weather is perfect there now. 70's The trees are full of beautiful colored leaves.

My brothers and Me.

Bentley and Marv.

It was so good to see them again.

Mom and Dad.

Grams and Gramps. Love them!

The newlyweds. Look at the pretty tree!

The kids and I drove around to see some Christmas lights and the Temple was gorgeous!

One of my favorite temples.

Day 2 ~December 2nd~ Happpy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Russ.

13 years!

Day 1~ December first~ A time to look Back

Memories of Florida.......

Gators
Moving

Slick tile floors and Babies with Ba Ba's

Carter won his little league series

He got 5 home runs that season!

Lucky number 13!!

Beauty Queen Ella

Emma played her first sport....T-Ball.

She was number 6.

They didn't keep score.

Disney, Disney and more Disney.

Twins

3 Days before Halloween they were born.

Emma graduated from Pre-School

Eating out at Ikea. YuM!!

Goodbye parties with friends

the beach

shopping with friends

a Baptism in the Ocean.

A couple more memories from Florida.....

I remember when we moved there we couldn't believe how many Hummers we saw on the road. It must be Hummer capital of the world.

It never freezes there. In fact if it gets below 50 degrees, people start freaking out.

The people on the news would tell you to bring your pets inside over night.

We would just laugh at that.

Grandma's would be in jackets when it was in the 70's.

The first beach we went to was South Beach and we all just walked right on out there to the sand and we started to notice topless women.

We later learned that South Beach is not a place to take the family. wink wink.

Hurricane Wilma came on my 30th birthday as a category 3. It did some major damage to a lot of trees and roofs including ours.

There is a lot of things we wish we had the money to do while we were there like

Deep Sea Fishing and other fun things but hey, that is what a vacation is for right.

When you live there, it is a different story.

All in all it was a great 5 years.

It was so tough being away from our family but we met the most amazing people who will be our friends forever!!